This Evil Thing (14+)

This Evil Thing explores the courage it took to be a pacifist in the First World War.

It is the compelling, inspiring and rarely told story of the men who in 1916 said no to war; and the men and women who supported them; involving a gripping journey from a chapel in Yorkshire to the House of Commons; from an English country garden to a quarry in Aberdeen; from a cell in Richmond Castle to a firing squad in France.

With military conscription still in force in many countries today, and prisoners of conscience still languishing in jails, the questions posed by This Evil Thing are as relevant and urgent as they were one hundred years ago.

A solo show performed by award-winning actor Michael Mears, with a simple but evocative set of nine different wooden crates, and a skilfully crafted soundtrack, Michael plays over 52 characters – though some only have one line, admittedly!